A. Technical Field
The present invention relates to imaging devices, and more particularly, to imaging devices having micromachined ultrasound transducers (MUTs).
B. Background of the Invention
A non-intrusive imaging system for imaging internal organs of a human body and displaying images of the internal organs transmits signals into the human body and receives signals reflected from the organs. Typically, transducers, such as capacitive transduction (cMUTs) or piezoelectric transduction (pMUTs), that are used in an imaging system are referred to as transceivers and some of the transceivers are based on photo-acoustic or ultrasonic effects.
In general, a MUT includes two or more electrodes and the topology of the electrodes affects both electrical and acoustic performances of the MUT. For instance, the amplitude of acoustic pressure generated by a pMUT increases as the size of the electrodes increase, to thereby improve the acoustic performance of the pMUT. However, as the size of the electrodes increases, the capacitance also increases to degrade the electrical performance of the pMUT. In another example, the amplitude of acoustic pressure at a vibrational resonance frequency of the pMUT is affected by the shape of the electrodes. As such, there is a need for methods for designing electrodes to enhance both acoustical and electrical performances of the transducers.